Hey friends, hoping you had a good long weekend, or if you didn’t have extra days off that you at least didn’t have any extra nonsense to deal with from those who did. We were busy bees, not with Easter or 420 festivities or what have you, but helping the good folks at Darker Side of Light, 132 Productions and your boy Scott Fox from iVardensphere assemble a little something we like to call AFTERMATH. We were as surprised and bummed out as anyone when Kinetik was cancelled a few weeks back, so when the opportunity came up to help put something together on the same dates, we leaped out of our chairs (spilling fancy beer all over our pants and god damn it to hell) and got right to work. Let us just say that the community of bands, fans and promoters that has come together to make all this happen has been both amazing and inspiring, and we’re happy to be involved. Go check the Facebook event and tell us that the line-up as it stands isn’t impressive in scope. Also, help spread the word: we want to make this thing as ridiculous as possible and we got about a month to make the impossible dream a reality!

Mr.Kitty, “XIII”
And you don’t stop with Mr.Kitty, who this past week dropped a new single, announced he was playing the UK’s illustrious Infest and put out a tripped out clip for “Insects”. Add to that the upcoming tour with Alter Der Ruine (more about them below) and the suggestion that “XIII” is just a warning shot for yet another new album and we can’t help but tip our caps to Forrest Carney; he’s not just avoiding resting on his laurels, he’s incinerating them with a flamethrower. Check the new single below and dig on the hints of dark futurepop contained therein.XIII (Single) by Mr.Kitty

Haujobb, “We Must Wait (feat. Jean-Luc De Meyer)”
Let’s forgo lines about how “good things come to those…” and cut to the chase. The wait between New World March and the new as-yet untitled Haujobb album certainly won’t be as long as that between Vertical Theory and NWM, but Daniel and Dejan have found a way to ratchet up anticipation with this, a tune about tension and patience of all stripes. “We Must Wait” seems to follow very closely from New World March‘s stripped-down clang, but let’s not bury the lead any further: the one and only Jean-Luc De Meyer is on fire here, and the nod to a certain crucial EBM video in this is killer.

Alter Der Ruine, “Tundra”
We’ll be honest: when word came out that the Mikes were touring with Mr.Kitty, it seemed like a bit of an odd pairing. ADR’s crunchy and tongue oft in cheek bangers felt very different from Forrest’s stargazing, but having been privy to some pre-release listens of I Will Remember It All Differently, we can tell you that Alter Der Ruine are blowing the hinges off their familiar sound, and that going on the road with Mr.Kitty is gonna make a hell of a lot of sense, as the moves to hi-gloss production and drama on this taster suggest. Prepare to forget everything you thought you knew about a band who rock Athletics gear and Werner Herzog shirts.

The Gothsicles, “Show Respect to Aquaman”
At least one person in the world has some love for Arthur Curry, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s ol’ Brian Graupsicles, who penned this loving tribute to Aquaman for the now cancelled Kinetik festival compilation. Accompanied by a Caustic track (appropriately titled “Did the Gothsicles Just Write a Fucking Song About Aquaman?”) and a Causticles jam, the three track “Songs from the De-EP” EP is available for your downloading pleasure for the princely sum of name-your-price over at Bandcamp. Could we possibly hear this tune when the ‘Sicles hit the stage at AFTERMATH??? Only time (and Brian if you ask, maybe) will tell!Songs From the De-EP by The Causticles

Surgyn, “Limousine”
Speaking of bands that will be gracing the Phoenix’s stage in May, can we get some love for glammy Scottish act Surgyn who will be bringing their highly coiffed brand of aggressive EBM to these shores as part of the Aesthetic Perfection fronted Til Death Tour? “Limousine” was originally attached to the band’s recent Indiegogo campaign as a limited CD, but you can have it now as part of a six-track package on Bandcamp featuring mixes by Combichrist, Rave the Reqviem, Seraphim System and more. Have a listen, and get ready to see them when they roll through your town: their stage show is really something else.Limousine by SURGYN

Ice Out, “So It Begins”
We can’t tell if this tune’s title (or the Bandcamp URL) is a winking nod to the changing of hats Ben Arp’s made again in unveiling his new production moniker; while he’s not at a Foetus level of names, calling him Our Thing’s answer to Kool Keith is perhaps not out of line. Regardless, this first taste extends naturally from Corvx De Timor, with perphaps a tinge more focus on the percussion. We’ll be tracking Ben’s pump fakes and fadeaways and keeping you posted, dear reader.So It Begins by Ice Out